Wheaton teen wins prize for fundraising efforts

Wheaton teen, Shannon Moran (right) shown with Julie Foudy at the Julie Foudy Leadership Camp, which inspired the 13-year-old to raise $5,000 for the American Diabetes Assocation after her grandfather died of diabetes. (The Moran family, Handout)

Over several years, 10-year-old Shannon Moran watched her grandfather slip away to diabetes.

"I watched him struggle with it, and I wanted other people to not have to go through what my family had to go through," she said. "I wanted to make it better for people who have been impacted by it."

And so she did.

His death served as the inspiration for the Wheaton girl, who turned her grief into action and raised $5,000 for the American Diabetes Association. Her effort recently won her the grand prize of Julie Foudy's Choose to Matter contest.

Shannon, who just turned 13 and is a seventh grade student at Edison Middle School, could hardly contain her excitement when she heard the news.

"I kind of freaked out," she said.

Her mother, Mary Beth Moran, said, "For the first time in 13 years, we saw her speechless."

Shannon's idea to raise money for diabetes came after she returned from the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, a weeklong camp for girls ages 12 to 18. When she returned to school, Shannon started campaigning for money for the American Diabetes Association, selling rubber bracelets and T-shirts. She also sold raffle tickets and held a day of soccer that included a skills contest and pick-up games. Over two months time, she raised $5,000 for the cause.

Julie Foudy, an ESPN sports analyst and former player for the United States women's national soccer team, called Shannon an example for other teens.

"She took it to another level and she had a lot of different people involved. That's hard for a young woman or girl that age to have the courage to act," Foudy said. "For young girls, there's a real feeling that they're not the most popular or Olympic gold medalist or captain, so they can't get out there and use their voice. So this is about finding your voice and being passionate about something and taking that first step and keep stepping."

As one of five grand prize winners nationally, Shannon will go to Walt Disney World in Florida and serve as a youth leader in the Special Olympics Florida Summer Games in May.

"I'm incredibly proud, and I'm really just grateful," Mary Beth Moran said. "I think it was a way for her to work through the grieving process. Not only to honor him, but she wanted to prevent someone else from having to go through the experience of watching someone die of diabetes. She's truly shown us that when kids put their mind to it, they can do anything."

Shannon said she took this way from the experience: "Whatever it happens to be, being a leader is choosing and deciding that you want to make a change and that you want to matter in the community. It doesn't take a whole lot to make difference."